Back in Tromsø – and back in front of the Prime Minister – the children had no time to feel nervous. Even without Kester being there, they had a job to do and were determined to do it. Here they were, reporting to the most powerful man in the UK, giving him information that might help him make some of the most serious decisions that a person had to make.
This time Adnan and Hatty, standing by Lesh’s side, had not come in via the roof. They’d come in a staff lift, one used to deliver room-service food.
The Prime Minister stared hard at Lesh as he spoke.
‘We have evidence that Sergei Esenin is involved in moving a 1960s nuclear warhead,’ Lesh said. ‘Evidence both in paperwork and things we’ve heard the American, Frank Hawk, say when we were bugging him.’
‘Go on,’ he said in a measured voice. But the children could tell, by the look of thunder on his face, that the mention of Frank Hawk’s name again had not impressed him.
Lesh tried not to be distracted by the wind wuthering off the top of the building. He sensed that the weather was changing.
‘Esenin was in Greenland in 1992, on an expedition with his father, who was a scientist.’
‘Or who may have been pretending to be a scientist,’ Hatty interrupted.
‘Meaning?’ the PM asked.
Lesh explained. ‘The evidence could be telling us that they weren’t on a scientific mission. It’s possible they were there to recover a missing warhead that the Americans lost in 1968.’
‘And we also found charts for the channels around Tromsø,’ Adnan added. ‘One way to look at it is that Esenin is bringing the warhead here. To attack the conference.’
‘But that’s unconfirmed,’ Lesh said, glancing at Adnan and wishing he’d keep his mouth shut. ‘We need to find out more to see if there’s any truth in that.’
‘No, I disagree,’ the Prime Minister said, gesturing to Adnan, raising his voice. ‘We need to stop him. Now.’
Lesh shook his head before he could stop himself. Hatty noticed the Prime Minister looking almost angrily at Lesh. As if he couldn’t believe this boy was telling him what to do.
‘I don’t think we have enough evidence, sir,’ Hatty said to the Prime Minister, backing Lesh up. ‘Like Lesh said, there’s still a lot of guesswork involved. We could be wrong. I think what we need to do is focus all our attention on Esenin. If we make a mistake, it could be bad news for the conference – and the world.’
‘No,’ the PM said. ‘I’ve got British Special Forces in the mountains. I can have them come in and do a quiet job. We have too much to lose.’
‘With respect, sir,’ Hatty said sharply, remembering that this was what adults sometimes said to each other when they were going to say something without respect, ‘we need more time. There’s nothing else to suggest Esenin is behind any real threat to the conference. Bringing in Special Forces would ruin the whole conference and the UK would never be trusted again.’
The room went silent. Even the noise of the wind buffeting off the top of the hotel seemed to stop. The Prime Minister looked at Hatty. It was clear to her that he wasn’t used to being spoken to like that. But the thing about Hatty was she didn’t care. The most important thing in the world to her was that she should speak her mind, whoever she was talking to, whether it was a five-year-old child or the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And, at this point, she wasn’t sure what the difference was between the two.
‘Twelve hours,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘That’s all you have. Then I call the SAS in.’
‘And start a world war?’ Hatty muttered under her breath.
‘I’m sorry?’ the Prime Minister said.
Lesh spoke up. ‘Hatty said, “Thank you for giving us more.” More time, that is. But we need to go now, sir.’ He glanced at his SpyPad. ‘Esenin is on the move.’
‘That was so cool,’ Adnan said in the service lift as the children descended to the ground floor. ‘You just cornered the Prime Minister. I wish Lily and Kester had been here to see that.’
‘There’s no time to worry about them,’ Hatty said. ‘What are we going to do about Esenin?’
‘Follow him. Search his room. Bug him,’ Lesh said, glancing at his SpyPhone. ‘He left his room while we were with the PM. He’s gone with a coat on and a map of the town. He’s … where is he now? Right now … he’s walking south towards the Polaria Museum. Sightseeing maybe?’
‘Or,’ Adnan suggested, ‘if you follow the Prime Minister’s logic – he’s gone to pitch the world into war.’
‘Maybe.’ Lesh smiled grimly.
‘I have to say,’ Adnan went on, ‘I sort of agree with the Prime Minister. I think Esenin is planning something. I’d have the SAS in here sharpish.’
‘You made that clear in there,’ Hatty said, gently pushing Adnan against the side of the lift. ‘I think you like the Prime Minister.’
‘Maybe I do,’ Adnan said. ‘He’s a bit like my dad was.’
Hatty paused as the lift slowed. She couldn’t help thinking, as she knew Adnan now was, about his chance of a new family with his uncle from Pakistan. She put her arm round him. ‘Your dad was way better than him,’ she said.
The lift doors opened and the trio walked quickly through a large kitchen area, finding a door out on to the harbourside, to be hit with a blast of cold air.
‘The forecast said that the weather was about to change,’ Lesh grumbled as he tightened his scarf and drew his collar round his neck.
‘Come on then,’ Hatty said. ‘Let’s move it. We need to follow him, see what he’s up to. If we don’t, then our glorious leader will have the SAS charging down that hill before we know what’s hit us.’